How the Minnesota Vikings Are Paying Tribute to Rookie Khyree Jackson Who Was Killed in a Car Crash

Following the shocking and untimely death of Minnesota Vikings player Khyree Jackson, the team has revealed how it plans to pay tribute to the rookie cornerback during the upcoming NFL season.

Jackson, who died following a fatal car crash on July 6, will be honored by the Vikings in various ways throughout the season, which was to be his debut year after being drafted by the team in the fourth round in April. 

On Monday, July 22, at the start of training camp, the Vikings announced the locker assigned to Jackson will not be used during the season and neither will his jersey number, 31. Additionally, players will wear helmet decals with the initials “KJ” while team staff members will wear special pins, Sports Illustrated and the Associated Press reported.

Per SI, special stenciling will be added to the Vikings practice fields in honor of Jackson.

The team will also pay out the remainder of Jacksons $827,000 signing bonus to his estate and contribute $20,000 for his funeral expenses, the outlets reported.

During a press conference on Monday, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell spoke about the memory that Jackson, 24, left behind. “Khyree was not a part of our team long, but the way our culture is ... it does not take long for guys to build strong bonds and relationships,” O’Connell said, per the AP.

He added: “Just through my dialogue throughout the summer with some of our veteran leadership … it was pretty remarkable to hear the kind of impact that he had in such a short amount of time.”

Echoing O’Connell’s sentiments, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah also spoke during the press conference, saying: “Between his joy, the way he attacked life and also just that hard-working spirit. We were so excited to add him to this building, to this culture. It’s a tragedy that he’s not here.”

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Jackson’s funeral will be held on Friday, July 26, and both Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell will attend the service along with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, special teams coordinator Matt Daniels and defensive backs coach Daronte Jones, the AP reported. Additionally, the team will fly Jackson’s family to Minnesota in the coming weeks for a private commemoration with Vikings players and coaches.

Jackson died in a "triple fatal car crash" in his home state of Maryland in the early morning of Saturday, July 6, according to a press release from the Maryland State Police.

Two of Jackson's former teammates at Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School — Isaiah Hazel, 23, and Anthony Lytton, Jr., 24 — were also killed in the crash in Prince George’s County, police said. Hazel was driving the vehicle, a Dodge Charger, with Jackson in the passenger seat. Lytton, meanwhile, was sitting in the back.

There were three vehicles involved in the crash, including a Chevrolet Impala and a silver Infiniti, which authorities believe was attempting to change lanes at a high speed when it struck the two others. Investigators think alcohol may have been a "contributing circumstance" in the crash.